diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/transaction/lock_graph.c b/src/backend/distributed/transaction/lock_graph.c
index cc05c72ba..793fa3cca 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/transaction/lock_graph.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/transaction/lock_graph.c
@@ -494,7 +494,11 @@ BuildLocalWaitGraph(void)
 
 /*
  * IsProcessWaitingForSafeOperations returns true if the given PROC
- * waiting on relation extension lock or page locks.
+ * waiting on relation extension locks, page locks or speculative locks.
+ *
+ * The function also returns true if the waiting process is an autovacuum
+ * process given that autovacuum cannot contribute to any distributed
+ * deadlocks.
  *
  * In general for the purpose of distributed deadlock detection, we should
  * skip if the process blocked on the locks that may not be part of deadlocks.
@@ -509,17 +513,26 @@ IsProcessWaitingForSafeOperations(PGPROC *proc)
 {
 	PROCLOCK *waitProcLock = NULL;
 	LOCK *waitLock = NULL;
+	PGXACT *pgxact = NULL;
 
 	if (proc->waitStatus != STATUS_WAITING)
 	{
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	/* get the transaction that the backend associated with */
+	pgxact = &ProcGlobal->allPgXact[proc->pgprocno];
+	if (pgxact->vacuumFlags & PROC_IS_AUTOVACUUM)
+	{
+		return true;
+	}
+
 	waitProcLock = proc->waitProcLock;
 	waitLock = waitProcLock->tag.myLock;
 
 	return waitLock->tag.locktag_type == LOCKTAG_RELATION_EXTEND ||
-		   waitLock->tag.locktag_type == LOCKTAG_PAGE;
+		   waitLock->tag.locktag_type == LOCKTAG_PAGE ||
+		   waitLock->tag.locktag_type == LOCKTAG_SPECULATIVE_TOKEN;
 }
 
 
@@ -596,8 +609,7 @@ AddEdgesForLockWaits(WaitGraph *waitGraph, PGPROC *waitingProc, PROCStack *remai
 
 		/*
 		 * Skip processes from the same lock group, processes that don't conflict,
-		 * and processes that are waiting on a relation extension lock or page locks,
-		 * which will be released shortly.
+		 * and processes that are waiting on safe operations.
 		 */
 		if (!IsSameLockGroup(waitingProc, currentProc) &&
 			IsConflictingLockMask(procLock->holdMask, conflictMask) &&
@@ -641,8 +653,7 @@ AddEdgesForWaitQueue(WaitGraph *waitGraph, PGPROC *waitingProc, PROCStack *remai
 
 		/*
 		 * Skip processes from the same lock group, processes that don't conflict,
-		 * and processes that are waiting on a relation extension lock or page locks,
-		 * which will be released shortly.
+		 * and processes that are waiting on safe operations.
 		 */
 		if (!IsSameLockGroup(waitingProc, currentProc) &&
 			IsConflictingLockMask(awaitMask, conflictMask) &&